Dears,

Before this Christian v/s Hindu debate gets out of focus, let us go
back to the ground reality:

The Christain Panas [formerly SC and now demanding ST status because
the Constitution does not recognise SC for no-Hindus] wanted to put an
arch in the market. They were prevented.

The Christian Panas beat up a swami, his driver and a police escort.

The Hindus burnt churches, seminaries, houses, convents.

"TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE ONE RIGHT." said Mahatma Gandhi.

The following is an extract of the full report below. It has also been
confirmed by a priest that the swami, drive and ploiceman was beaten
up BEFORE the violence erupted.

The report:QUOTE
"The region has witnessed numerous clashes in the past over attempts
of conversion and re-conversion of tribals and Panas by both
Christians and Hindus. The trouble had escalated in the early 1990s
when the Kui, Kuvi and Kuee groups were added to the Kandhas in the ST
list.

Since then, Panas — who are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) —
have been demanding their inclusion in the ST list as well. An ST can
continue to get extra benefits as a tribal even after conversion to
Christianity, but a SC member cannot.

The Kandhas have been opposing this demand. It was in this backdrop
that Hindu and Christian groups clashed on Christmas Eve in
Brahmanigaon, about 150 km from district headquarter Phulbani.

The problem intensified the same day when some people attacked the
vehicle of local Hindu leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati near
Daringbadi when he was on his way to perform a yagna in Brahmanigaon.
Then the tribals attacked Panas, damaged their churches and drove them
out of their homes.

"Although there are isolated incidents of Panas attacking tribals, by
and large it was a collective attack by thousands of tribals on
Christian Panas and the main reason was not religion alone," a
district police official said. Tribals feel local member of the state
legislative assembly, Mr Padmanabha Behera and senior Congress leader
and Rajya Sabha member, Mr Radhakanta Naik have joined hands and are
helping Panas. UNQUOTE

It is not about religion or Christmas.

The issue is about SCHEDULED TRIBE status to the Panas SC converts and
the facilities there to. IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY, HONEY. ;-)

Mog asundi,

Miguel

Fresh violence in Orissa before Home Minister's visit
IANS


Phulbani (Orissa), Jan 2 The Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil
arrived in Orissa on Wednesday to assess the situation in riot hit
Kandhamal district amidst reports of fresh violence in the region over
the past two days.

Hundreds of people on Monday torched two houses, one each at villages
Rabingia and Barpada, about 150 km from district headquarter Phulbani.
Another mob attacked a house at Daringbadi village on Monday, the
police said.

A senior district police official told IANS there was no report of
fresh violence since Tuesday morning, "but the situation continues to
remain critical". Mr Patil is scheduled to visit some parts of the
riot-hit district, about 200 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. At
least three people were killed in the district and dozens injured in
communal clashes since Christmas Eve.

The Home Minister arrived at the state capital on Wednesday morning,
to be received by state Congress president Mr Jayadev Jena, leader of
opposition, Mr J B Patnaik and senior officials, including state chief
secretary, Mr Ajit Tripathy. On December 24, mobs allegedly owing
allegiance to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal torched
14 churches in the district. Christian groups claim that nine people
were killed in the attack. The Biju Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) coalition government in Orissa has been accused of not
taking appropriate and timely action in the matter.

The state government has clamped a curfew in the district and deployed
more than 1,500 policemen, including three companies of paramilitary
forces, but the situation continues to remain tense.

Kandhamal has a population of over 600,000.

Of them, 450,000 are from the Hindu Scheduled Tribe (ST) Kandha while
most of the others are Panas, 95 per cent of whom are Christians. The
majority of the riot victims in the hill-slope villages surrounded by
forests were Christians.

"Members of the Pana community are financially better off than the
tribals. They have been dominating politics and occupy powerful posts
in government," Mr Lambodar Kanhar, a tribal leader and secretary of
Kui Samaj — the apex body of the Kandha tribe — told IANS. Kui is the
mother tongue of the Kandhas.

The region has witnessed numerous clashes in the past over attempts of
conversion and re-conversion of tribals and Panas by both Christians
and Hindus. The trouble had escalated in the early 1990s when the Kui,
Kuvi and Kuee groups were added to the Kandhas in the ST list.

Since then, Panas — who are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) —
have been demanding their inclusion in the ST list as well. An ST can
continue to get extra benefits as a tribal even after conversion to
Christianity, but a SC member cannot.

The Kandhas have been opposing this demand. It was in this backdrop
that Hindu and Christian groups clashed on Christmas Eve in
Brahmanigaon, about 150 km from district headquarter Phulbani.

The problem intensified the same day when some people attacked the
vehicle of local Hindu leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati near
Daringbadi when he was on his way to perform a yagna in Brahmanigaon.
Then the tribals attacked Panas, damaged their churches and drove them
out of their homes.

"Although there are isolated incidents of Panas attacking tribals, by
and large it was a collective attack by thousands of tribals on
Christian Panas and the main reason was not religion alone," a
district police official said. Tribals feel local member of the state
legislative assembly, Mr Padmanabha Behera and senior Congress leader
and Rajya Sabha member, Mr Radhakanta Naik have joined hands and are
helping Panas.

To satisfy the majority Kandha community Behera, who was the state
steel and mines minister, resigned last week. The state government
also transferred the district collector, district superintendent of
police and some local level police officers.

Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik has announced that his government
will not give tribal status to the Panas.



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Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts,
Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa
Ph 9822982676 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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